Cover-eirung machine



Feb. 3. 1925.

A. J. DE LEERS COVER FILLING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1923 2 Shoots-Sheet I Feb. 3. 1925. 1.525,]69

A. J. DE 'LEERS COVER FILLING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1923 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 j y. Z.

QAWbzwm Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

units stares rarest rel-cs.

ALPHONSE J. DE :LEEBS; OFJVIARINETTE, WISCONSIN,

COVER-FILLING MACHINE.

Application. filed June 25,

description of this application, the machine will be described as adapted for the filling of match box covers, but it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to this sphere oi usefulness, but is to be limited only as claimed.

- lieretotore it has been. the practice to insert the filled match box within'the cover by'hand. It has been found that this process is slow and needlesslyadds to the cost of the finished article. Objects of this invention are to provide a machine: folfilling covers, which will project: the fillers into the covers in an automatic, smooth and rapid manner, which will accurately center each cover prior to the filling operation thereby avoidingjamming or damage to the machine, and which will advance the covers in a step by step manner so that the entire operation is wholly automatic, smooth and rapid, andwaccurate functioning of the machine is secured.

Further objects are to provide a machine for filling match box covers, which will handle the boxes although the matches ,may be piled slightly above the uppersurface of the box, which wlillhold. thematches'within the box, which-will compress the .matches and force them intowthe-box prior to the sliding of the box into the cover,:and-which will :iautomaticall y accurately guide the filled boxes'into the. covers.

Further'objects arepto provide a machine for filling. match box covers in. which the va-riousportions of the mechanism are positively operatively oonnectedand are so timed'that a cover is advanced to the-correct position, is thereafter, accurately cen- 1923. Serial No. 647,664.

tered and a tilled-box'isinserted -intothe cover while it is so centeried.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,- in which:-

Figure 1 is plan view of the machine with portions broken away to more clearly show the construction.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the machine. i

Figure 3 is sectional view on -the lin 3-3 oti Figure 2.

Figure l is a detaihof theright hand portion ofthe mechanism illustrated in Figure 2 showing the mechanism in (t-different position, or at a diiierentperiod in its cycle of operation.

The machine comprises a bed plate 1 which is equipped with an'entrance trough or teed trough 2- tor the filledboxes and is provided with ,a guideway 3' for the cow ers. in upwardly extending open chute A: is mounted'above the guioe way 3 and is adapted to receive the emptyreovers 5-, such covers being supplied the chute in any suitable'manner. This particular platemay, of

course, be carried upon any'desiredtypeotsupports, and may take other forms from the exact forms shown. Three short vertical shafts 6,7 and, 8 are-carried insuitable bearings torm'edintegrallywith the bed plateand project upwardly through such plate. The shaft 6 isprovided with abevel gear 9 which meshes with a bevel gear 10 carried by the transverse driving shaft 11, such shaft beingprovid'ed with apulley l2 or other suitable driving means. The shafts 6,- 7 and 8 are provided, respectively, with sprocket wheels 13, 14 and'lo whi-cl1,--as may be seen fromFigure l, are connected by a sprocket chain 16, so that all of the'shafts move in unison and at eXact-ly'the same speed-asthe sprocket wheels are all of the same size. The bed plate carries a forward guide Way 17 and a rear guide way 18 within which is slidably positioned the feed plunger- 19 for the boxes. Reciprocatory motion is imparted to thisplunger by means of a crank arm 20 rigidly attached to the upper end of the shaft ti' and'provided with an upwardly projecting pin 21 adapted to slide in a slot 22 formed in the cross head zsuch cross head being rigidly rcarried by the plunger 19. The guide way 17 is in effect a sleeve, as may be seen from Figures 2, 3, and 4t and is itself adapted for reciprocatory motion to a limited extent upon the bed plate 1. It is carried by the guides 24 (see Figure 3) and is provided with a transverse slot 25. A pin 26 fits within the slot and is carried eecentrieally upon a disk 27 rigidly attached to the shaft '7. Thus when the shaft 7 rotates, the sleeve will be given a reciprocatory motion in and out towards the chute 4. This sleeve is provided with a lateral aperture 28 through which the filled boxes 29 (see Figure 3) may be fed in any suitable manner. The plunger 19 is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 30 which may form an integral continuation of the rear portion and of a lesser thickness than the body portion. This portion 30 is supplemented by a portion 31 of approximately similar extent and pivotally mounted, as indicated at 32 (see Figures 2 and 4) to the body portion. A spring 33 urges the pivoted arm 31 upwardly and an anti-friction roller 34., carried by such upper arm relieves the device of excessive friction as such roller travels upon the upper side of the sleeve 18 thus materially reducing friction.

It is to be noted from Figures 2 and 1- that the inner portion of the sleeve 17 is tapered being largest approximately adjacent the aperture 28 through which the filled boxes are passed. The upper side 35 of this central opening tapers downwardly towards the forward end of the plunger, as may be seen from Figures 2 and 1. A convenient Way of forming this sleeve is also to taper the outer forward surfaces thereof, as may be seen frdm Figures 2 and 4. A plurality of resilient fingers 36 are secured to the tapered sides and converge and approach each other under normal conditions more closely than the cross section area of a box 29 of matches. This tapered nose of the plunger formed by the members 36 is adapted to be projected into one of the covers 5 and to accurately center the cover (as shown in Figure t) prior to the feeding of the box into the cover. A feed plunger 37 for the covers 5 is provided and is guided in a rear extension of the guideway 3, as may be seen from Figures 1 and 8. This feed plunger is provided with a transverse slot 38 upon its under side which receives a pin 39 eccentrieally carried by a disk 10. The disk is rigidly attached to the shaft 8 and consequently, as the shaft rotates the reciprocatory member 37 will push the box covers outwardly in a step by step manner the stroke of such plunger 37 being approximately equal to the width of the match box cover.

A convenient way of feeding the filled boxes 29 into the sleeve or guide 17 is illustrated in Figure 3 and it will be seen from such figure that the matches are carried to the entrance chute 2 by means of a belt 41 driven by a drum 12. The drum is rigidly attached to a transverse shaft which also rigidly carries a sprocket wheel 4:3. This sprocket wheel is connected by means of a chain @141 with a similar sprocket wheel d5 rigidly associated with a bevel gear 46 (see Figures 2 and The bevel gear 416 eriodicall meshes with the rotatin muas to aid in forcing the matches downwardly into packed relation within the boxes 29.

The operation of the apparatus is'as follows z-ats the shafts (S, 7 and 8 rotate, the

feed plunger 37 for the box covers 5 is reciprocated outwardly thereby pushing one box cover from the chute 4. This box cover is in front of the flexible nose of the plunger 19. Tl'iereafter the sleeve 17 makes a forward stroke thus projecting its tapered resilient nose or end into the box cover and accurately aligning such cover. The plunger 19 then makes a forward reciprocation and'feeds one of the filled boxes 29 forwardly into the cover.

It is to be noted from Figures 2 and 4 that although the boxes may be piled up with matches or over filled, it is, neven theless, a parent that the extra supply of matches projecting above the box will have their butt ends engaged by the forward end lower end of the plunger engages the rear face of the box. The plunger 19 presses the box forwardly and causes the matches of the member 31 of the plunger while the V to become relatively tightly packed within the boxes. This centering operation is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure and it will be seen that the tapered resilient nose of the plunger 19 easily passes into the cover and accurately centers it. It will also be seen that the matches are pressed downwardly into the box and held in this pressed condition while the box is being inserted into. the cover.

It will be seen that a cover filling machine has been provided in which three independent reciprocable members are provided for feeding the covers forwardly, for centering the covers and for projecting the filled boxes into the covers.

It will also be seen'that this machine will rapidly and correctly fill the covers by inserting the filled boxes therein.

Although one form of the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed.

It is to be further understood that although the matches have been shown with their heads pointing forwardly of the machine that obviously the matches may be arranged in the reverse manner, and further that although the machine is particularly adapted for the handling of safety matches, obviously, it may be used for other types of matches and for other articles.

I claim:

1. A machine for filling covers comprising a chute for said covers, a guideway adjacent said chute and adapted to receive covers from said chute, a reciprocatory sleeve adapted to reciprocate at right angles to said guideway and having a tapered nose adapted to enter a cover in said guideway and center it, a reciprocatory plunger mounted within said sleeve, said sleeve having an opening through its side, means for sliding fillers through the opening in the side of said sleeve, means for reciprocating said sleeve, and means for reciprocating said plunger, whereby said plunger will project a filler carried within said sleeve into the centered cover.

2. A machine for filling covers comprising a chute for supplying covers, a guideway adjacent said chute, means for moving a cover from said chute along said guideway, a reciprocatory sleeve adapted to reciprocate along a line crossing said guideway and having a flexible tapered nose adapted to enter a cover located within said guideway and to thus center such cover, a plunger adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve, and means for putting fillers directly into said sleeve, whereby said plunger may project a filler through said sleeve and into a centered cover.

A machine for filling match box covers comprising a chute for said covers, a guideway adjacent said chute, means for projecting a cover from said chute along said guideway, a sleeve adapted to reciprocate at right angles to said chute and having a tapering flexible nose adapted to project into a cover within said guideway to center said cover, a plunger adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve and through said flexible nose thereof, means for positioning filled boxes of matches in said sleeve, means for reciprocating said plunger, and means for reciprocating said sleeve to project said nose. into a cover and retract said nose when said plunger approaches said cover.

4. A machine for filling match box covers comprising a bed plate, a plunger reciprocally mounted thereon, a shaft projecting through said bed plate and having a crank connected with said plunger, a sleeve surroimding said plunger and having a tapered nose, a second shaft projecting through said bed plate and having crank connection with said sleeve, a guideway transversely arranged with reference to said bed plate, a ,reciprocatory member for advancing covers along said guideway, a third shaft projecting through said bed plate and having crank connection with said reciprocatory member, means positively connecting all three of said shafts and causing them to rotate in unison, and means for supplying boxes filled with matches to said plunger, whereby the nose of said sleeve is reciprocated into and out of said covers while they are located within said guideway and said boxes are projected through said sleeve into said covers by said plunger.

A machine for filling match box covers comprising means for conducting said covers to said machine, a guideway located adjacent said means, a member adapted to project said covers from said supply means along said guideway, a sleeve arranged at right angles to said guideway, means for supplying boxes filled with matches within said sleeve and a plunger adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve to project said filled boxes into said covers, said plunger having an expansible forward end adapted to engage the upper and lower inner surfaces of said sleeve and said sleeve being tapered toward said guideway.

6. A machine for filling match box covers comprising means for conducting said covers to said machine, a guideway located adjacent said means, a member adapted to project said covers from said supply means along said guideway, a sleeve arranged at right angles to said guideway, means for supplying boxes filled with matches within said sleeve, and a plunger adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve to project said filled boxes into said covers, said plunger having an expansible forward end adapted to engage the upper and lower inner surfaces of said sleeve and said sleeve being tapered toward said guideway and having a resilient nose, whereby said matches are pressed into said boxes as they are projected from said sleeve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Marinette, in the county of Marinette and State 0 lVisconsin.

ALPHONSE'J. DE LEERS. 

